The chickpea gnocchi with arugula pesto and bell peppers is a delicious first course, easy and quick to prepare. Gluten free, without potatoes and without eggs, they are made in just over 10 minutes by simply mixing chickpea flour with warm water, oil, and salt. In a short time, we obtain small soft gnocchi that will cook in no time in boiling water and will be ready to season. They can be served with many types of sauces and condiments according to our taste, even with a simple tomato sauce. We recommend a type of seasoning that we really liked and is very simple and quick to make: light arugula pesto without parmesan and pecorino that can be prepared in two minutes, and sautéed bell peppers that you can replace with another type of vegetable like eggplant or zucchini.
The preparation is very simple: mix chickpea flour with warm water, oil, and salt. Form logs with the dough and cut many small gnocchi. Prepare arugula pesto by blending arugula with pine nuts, garlic, oil, and salt. Sauté the bell peppers in a pan with oil and a clove of garlic. Cook the gnocchi in salted boiling water and when they float to the surface, drain them directly into the pan with the peppers. Off the heat, add the arugula pesto, mix well, and the chickpea gnocchi are ready.
An excellent first course to prepare in no time, and also very practical and versatile because chickpea gnocchi can be prepared in advance by storing them in the fridge or even freezing them. Moreover, it is a vegetarian first course that can satisfy everyone’s tastes, gluten-free, and also quite light. You just have to try it!
Also discover:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for Homemade Chickpea Gnocchi with Arugula Pesto and Bell Peppers
- 10.5 oz chickpea flour
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- 5 oz arugula
- 1.75 oz pine nuts
- 1/2 clove garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Tools for Preparing Homemade Chickpea Gnocchi with Arugula Pesto and Bell Peppers
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pastry board
- 1 Dough scraper
- 1 Tray
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan
- 1 Food processor
Steps for Preparing Homemade Chickpea Gnocchi with Arugula Pesto and Bell Peppers
Begin preparing the chickpea gnocchi by pouring the chickpea flour into a bowl and adding the warm water, oil, and a pinch of salt.
Mix first with a spoon, then when the ingredients begin to come together, continue kneading with your hands until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough.
Transfer to a floured pastry board, divide the dough into smaller parts, and form logs about 3/4 inch in diameter.
With a dough scraper or a floured knife, cut pieces of about 1/2 inch and, as they are ready, place them on a tray dusted with chickpea flour.
Prepare the arugula pesto by combining arugula, garlic, pine nuts, salt, and oil.
Pound or blend everything using a mixer or an immersion blender.
Prepare the bell pepper seasoning by cleaning them, splitting them in half, and removing the stem and internal seeds. Then cut them into strips or cubes.
Pour the oil into a fairly large pan, brown the garlic clove, and add the bell peppers.
Cook for 10-15 minutes until the bell peppers are soft. Season with salt and remove the garlic.
While preparing the seasoning, bring plenty of salted water to a boil and add the gnocchi.
When they float to the surface, drain them with a slotted spoon and transfer them directly to the pan with the peppers.
Off the heat, add the arugula pesto, mix well, and serve the chickpea gnocchi.
Simo and Cicci Recommend
You can store uncooked chickpea gnocchi in the fridge on a tray dusted with chickpea flour, well-covered for up to 1 day. Alternatively, you can freeze them raw for up to two months: place them on a tray and leave them in the freezer until solidified. Then transfer them into a food storage bag.
You can replace the arugula pesto with another type of sauce such as basil pesto, red pesto, zucchini pesto or legume cream such as bean and arugula cream.
You can replace the arugula pesto with another type of sauce such as basil pesto, red pesto, zucchini pesto or legume cream such as bean and arugula cream.
